Apparatus for



I. c. GILLETTE.- APPARATUS FOR APPLYING BINDING POSTS T0 DRY CELLS. 1,385,783.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20,1916- 1 w u 1 U ML 6 mm H H m3 8' a E a T I I F. a M W unnuflnuu a d 5 BU t n W 3 P ATTORNEY J. C. GILLETTE.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING BINDING POSTS T0 DRY CELLS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.20, 19l6.

1,385,783. I A v Patented July 26, 1921.

r 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2- IN VEN TOR. 1J.C. GILLETTE BY Q A TT RNEY J. C. GILLETTE.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING BINDING POSTS T0 DRY CELLS. v

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-20, 1916.

1 $385,783, Patented 26, 1921.

5 S S-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR. JELGILLET'I'E a MW TORNEY J. C. GILLETTE.

APPARATUSnFOR APPLYING BINDING POSTS TO DRY CELLS.

5 SHEETfi SHEET 4.

Patented July 26, 1921.

APPLICATION FILED SEPLZO, 1916- IN VEN TOR. (if. GI L LE T TE By TORNE Y J. C. GILLETTE.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING BINDING POSTS T0 DRY CELLS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.20. 1916- Patented July 26, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- INVENTOR. ..T. C. GILLETTE o mfl A TTORNE Y number of operators. My. invention reduces UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. GILLETTE, or LAKEWOOD, 01110, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, '10 NATIONAL GARBON'COMPANY, me, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING- BINDING-IPOSTS T0 DRY CELLS.

1,385, tee.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 26-, 1921.

Application filed September 20, 1916. SerialNo. 121,909.

To all 1072 0m it may concern,

Be it known that I, J OHN/C. GILLETTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lakewood, in the county of 'Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Applying Binding-Posts to Dry. Cells, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description. a

This invention relates to apparatus for making dry cells, and particularly to. means for performing the operations on the dry cell 1 container known as scratching?. and posting. The. former term relates to abrading or grinding a spot near the upper edge of the container, and the latter to applying and. soldering the binding post to the container at the buifed spot. 1

. The invention alsorelates to a-conveyer adapted to transfer dry cells to various operative positions .during the process of manufacture. 7 g M Another object is to construct a holder for conveniently supporting a .dry' cell oontainer upon a conveyer.

A further object is to perform the fscratching and posting operations automatically.

The usualmethod of performingthe operations to whichthis invention relates, consists in transferring the cellsfrom one operator or machine to'the next in trucks, or in having the. workmen proceed from truck to truck. This methodinvolves considerable confusiomrequires a largefloor space and necessitates the employment of a large these disadvantages to a minimum.

- In-the accompanying drawings, an ar-.

rangement is. shown for facilitating the above operations, in which: T Figure 1 is a front-viewof the entire machine with certainparts broken away and others omitted, to, permit more complete illustration. 7

Fig. 2 is a plan view looking downward on Fig. l with corresponding portions broken away.

Fig. 3 is'a plan view of one of the cell holders and, aportion of the eonveyer chain.

.- Fig. 4 is aside view of the holder illustrated in Fig. 3with a cell in position.

Fig.- 5 is an-end. view of Fig. 4: looking from the left. r i

Fig. 6 is a plan viewoftwo cell holders of a modified form which are connected directly together to eliminate the conveyor chain. Y I

Fig. 7. is a cross sectional view on the line AA of Fig. 6 showing in addition the supporting members.

Fig. 8 is a partial section on the line BB of Fig. 1 with a cell container placed in position. r

Fi 9 is a partial section on the line C-L of Fig. 2.

' F 'g. 10 is a view of certain parts adjacent to the soratch'brush.

Fi 11 isa view corresponding to that of Flg'. 10 with the cells moved into a different position. 1 a

Fig. 12 is an enlarged cross section on the line DD of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 13 is a View of the parts shown in Fig. 12 lookingtoward the left.

' Fig. l lis a cross section on the line E+E of Fig. 12 looking toward the left. i Fig. 15'is a cross section on the line FF of. Fig; 12 looking toward the left.

Fig. 16 is a view 'of. the soldering iron and container in the central position of the soldering stroke.

I Fig. 17 is a view of the soldering iron and container at the end of the soldering operation. r a y Fig. ,18' isa detail View of the spring bearing of the soldering iron.

. F ig. 19 shows a front view of a terminal to be soldered tothe container.

-. Fig. 20. is a perspective view ofa container with abinding post soldered. thereto.

F igs. 21, 22'and 23- are detail views of a portion of the apparatus near the left hand endof Figs. land 2, showing the cans in successive operative positions.

Fig. 2.4.is a detail sectional view of poriiions ofthe apparatus on the line Giir of i l. I n the various figures of the drawings, the same reference characters will be used in all of the figures to designate corresponding parts referred to in the following description. A framework 1 is. built up in a suitable manner to support the different parts of the. apparatus. ,Two horizontal members 8 and 9, secured to the uprights 2, 3 4: and 5, have grooved or rabbeted portionsg6 and? adapted to act as a track for the endless chain conveyer 10. Sprocket wheels 11, 12, 13 and 14 are the a paratus to carry the conveyer chain hand corner of Fig. 1.

10. hese shafts turn in bearings shown conventionally inithe drawings. Screw 15 ermits of adjusting the tension of the chain y moving tie bearingofsprocket wheel 11 on the block 16 shown at the upper right Since the Operators who perform certain workon the cells sit alongside the apparatus, the lower part of the conveyer is :inclosed in a box or frame 17, as a precantionagainst accidents. f

A driving pulley 18 fastened to the. shaft ofthe wheel 12is-connected to any source of power. to move the chain 10. Detail views of'the parti ular form: of conveyer chain are, shown in F 3,. 4 and 5. It consists of two-kinds o f links '19 and 20, having their extremities adapted to be hooked together as shown in Fig. "5. Each link 19 has two supportingw1ngs21 to whichi's attachedia strip 22 having notched can supports 23, 24 secured thereto. Sup.- port 24 has a projecting hmn- 25' with a removable member. 26 which is. attached to the lower part of the born by meansof 1 a screw -27'paasing through lngs't28.fThe removable top member hasa notch 29 at its free end for a pm se to be referred to later. When can 30 IS placed in the supports the upper edge of. the open end is-adjacent the notch. i I

use of -,a conveyor chain. This. carrier consists of a number. of-identical cast. iron hold em 31 having notched can suppm'ts28 and of lugs 33 so that-when lugs, 34 are-placed within lu g's 33a pin 32 may be us. through openings 35 cut in each l'ug. In a similar manner a pair of inner. lugs 36 00- operates with a second pair of inner lu 37. A roller 38'placed between lugs 361s mounted on the'pm 32 which will be passed through suitable openings 35 in all eight adjoining lugs and through .theroller in order to connect two adjacent can supports together; The number of holders required to form the carrier will be connected up in this manner. The holders have a" projecting horn 25 provided with a removable top mem} ber 26 adapted to be fastened to the horn by means of a screw 27. -Diflerent top members may attached to horn to accommodate various types of Sifts posts. A cylindrical member 39, for a purpose to be mentioned later, will be attached to the end adjacent the horn. A stop 40 is provided at the horn end to prevent the cans from being moved too far toward the horn.

For this type of carrier 'a central support 41 will provided for the rollers 38. The horizontal members 8, -9 will serve to prevent thehlwldnrs from being unbalanced when the force is applied to either end. Normally, however, the lugs 33 and'3'4 will not slide on thehorizontal, members, but the carrier will be balanced on the rollers38. The teeth ofisprecketwheels 11, 12, 13 and 14 will fit between the rollers when the carrier moves around them.

To enable the cells 30 to beproperly placed on the canuseatsa sheet metal stop'42 (see particularly Fig. 8) is attached to thn frame at the loading end. At the other end of the can. a spring 48 attached to a projection 44 of the member 9, engages. thebottom of the cell to move it against the face of the stop 42 to maintain theopen end of the can the correct distance from the horn 26.

The scratching device (Fi 1,. 2, 9, 10 and 11), consisting-of a. b i=-:;whec1 45 containing an abrasive, is mounted on a shaft 46 and drimen by a belt 47.. The shaft 46 is. carried by hearings in two arms 48 which pro'ect irom. a sleeve 49-ofshaft 50.

, v y The belt 4 passes around a pulley-'61 which -I-n Figs.--6"and 7 amodified form ofi'can carrier is illustrated which-eliminates the can. be moved b meansof adjusting .wheels 52 and-grooved 53 toadjud; the hcigt of the boiling wheel as it wears down. e weight 01 the wheel 45 and'arms 48 maintains the helt tn ght. rotation of the boiling wheel idle .pu eye 54 and 55 are as shown in; Fig.2;

' A: spring- 56 attached to the frame and parallel tothe chain is adapted to raise each can into contact with-the brush 45 whenit passesthmnnder. will be seen in Fig. 10,. the spring-.56 is placed just above the strips 22 andlbelow the came 30. Near the rotating brush the strip has aband 57 and a 'lifti tance from pointol the bend to the rotating brush is practically the same as the dipltance between the centers of adjacent ce s. 7

V The post 59 (Fig. 19): for a dry cell has a slotted base 60 adapted. to fit the open end of the can and a threadedend 61 for the terminal nut.

Mechanism for soldering the posts 59 to I the cells, located near the uprights 4 and 5 nd The bevel gear meshes with a sneond a star wheel For stoppin the p end 58. The horizontal disbevel gear 66 on a vertical shaft 67 A collar 68 resting on projection 69 provides the supporting means for the vertical shaft 67. A second vertical shaft 70 (Fig. 2) is similarly supported by a collar 71 (Fig. 1) and is driven from shaft 67 by means of gears 72 and 7 8 which. mesh together rather loosely. Pulley wheels 7% and 75 having a concave milled surface are'fastened to the.

The arrangement described heretofore con-- stitutes the solder feeding mechanism which is operated in conjunction with a device for reciprocating a soldering iron, through the star wheel shaft 62. At the end of the shaft opposite to the bevel gear a driving gear meshes with a pinion 81 on a countershaft 82. If a star wheel is used having six arms 68, the revolutions of the pinion will be three times the number of revolutions .of the gear 80. A rotating arm 83 placed at the end of the countershaft 82 has a pin 8% which moves in a slot 85'of an arm 86. The rotary movement of the arm 88 produces a reciprocating movement of slotted arm 86 and a soldering iron 89 attached thereto. The soldering iron is heated in any convenient manner, as by burning gas admitted through a flexibletube 90into a hollow space in the iron. For purposes to be referred to hereafter, the soldering tool has a notch 91 at its point. The shaft 87 carrying the soldering iron 89 and reciprocating arm 88, is adapted to be moved up and down vertically by bearings 92 mounted between springs 93 (Fig. 18) and slidable in slots 94% in the standards 95 and 96. The vertical height of the bearings in the standards is controlled by a cam 97 on shaft 62 which raises and lowers the recip rocating shaft 8'? through arm 98 loosely sus pended therefrom. A Vertical slot 99 is cut in a portion of the arm to dodge the countershaft 82 which passes therethrough and permits the arm to move only in a vertical direction. Collars-100 are fitted on the. countershaft 82 to prevent the arm 98 from slid-' ing out of engagement with the cam.

The arrangement as described is adapted to solder only every other post as will be further explained. hereafter; The mechaism will therefore be duplicated at some point of the machine in proximity to the first solderingdevice, asis indicated diagrammaticallyby the soldering iron 1 01.

In soldering the base of the post to the can, the soldering material sometimes bridges the gap between the post and the end of the horn or neck 26. To loosen this, any sort of a hammer may may be used, such as a spring 102 (Figs. 19, 20 and 21) having a projectingend 103 arranged at a proper height to engage the outer point of the horns 26 as they move successively past this point. hen the ends are free from the horn they spring inward against the cells and hammer them away from the horn a suflicient distance to loosen the post from the horn.

The unloading is accomplished by a drum 10 1 driven by means of chain 105 and sprocket wheels 106 and 107. The drum 104; is divided into a number of sectors by means of projecting pins 108 so that the angle of each sector is suihcient to receive a cell. After turning through an an le, represented approximately by the line (J'G, the cells are removed from the drum by a twister consisting of fingers, or strips 109 and 110 which lie between the radial fingers 108. These finger strips, together with the base 111, form, a passage gradually changing in direction from horizontal to vertical, so that the cells are delivered to the endless belt 112 in a vertical position where operators can add disks, sealing mixture, etc., to com plete them.

A tapered sheet metal chute 113 supported on a table 11%, receives the cells from the twister and delivers them to a moving platform built up from a number of wooden strips 115 attached to a belt 112. The con veyer or platform is provided with a spring 116 to pack the cells together.

In View of the preceding description, the

peration will be but briefly described. The cells will be placed on the notched supports 23, 2 1 of the carriers and located in the proper position by the action of the spring 13 pressing the open end of the can against the sheet metal stop 12. The cells will be carried along as the conveyer is moved in the direction of the arrows, the strips 22 sliding in the rabbets 6 and '7 of the horizontal bed formed by members 8, 9. When no strip is directly under the rotating brush 45 ig. 8) the metal strip 56 assumes a position in which none of the cells are raised. When the strips move along to the position of Fig. 9, a cell is directly under the brush and the first strip to the right of the brush engages the bend 57 of the stationary strip 56. This raises the end 58 to a sufii cient height to lift the can, which is under the brush, into contact with it. The open end will be tilted up against the brush only for the brief interval during which the bend 57 rides on the strip 22.

The foregoing operation prepares the surface for'soldering and also indicates to the operator where the post 59 should be placed.

The-posts arefitted by hand to the moving cans by one or more operators; with the slot on the edge of the can-and the threaded end of the post in the slot 29 of the horn 26 to hold it'in place. The speed at which the chain is moved may be such that one operator can fit-the posts thereto, but I prefer to have three posting operators because one operator can apply the cells to the feeding end with suflicient rapidity to keep three posters busy. "Accordingly, each operator applies a 0st to every third cell.

lVhen tie strips 22 approach the solder-. ing mechanism, they engage. the six star wheelprojections 63 successively. By making them of the proper length, one arm is always in engagement with a strip and remains so until the next strip and arm are in contact. lVith the modified carrier of Figs. 6 and 7 the cylinder 39 will engage the projections 63 of the star wheel. The rotation ofthe star wheel and shaft 62 is therefore approximately uniform although this is not essential. The rotation of the wheeljgradually feeds soldering material 77 from the reel 78 by transmitting rotation to the milled wheels 7 4 and 7 5 through'the. bevelgears 65,

and 66 and the gears 72 and 73. The pressure of the spring 76 causes the milled or.

roughened surfaces of the wheels to grip the solder 77 and feed. it forward over the ledge 79 througha tubularguide 117 in position to be melted by contact with the soldering tool. 3 r 1 While the solder is being slowly moved forward at the desired rate, the gear ratio of gears 80 and 81 will cause the shaft 82 and pin 84 to rotate throughone revolution while the shaft 62 rotates through one third of a revolution. One complete revolution of pin 84 is required for the solderingand return of thetool and during this period the conveyer moves'through a distance equal to twice the distance between the centers of adjacent cans. v dered during this time it will be evident that another soldering mechanism 101 must be used in conjunction therewith. One-half of this complete period is consumed for the soldering operation and the soldering tool is maintained in contactwith the postwhile v the can moves through azdistance equal to the distance between cans.

In the central position as in Figs. 12, 14, 15 and 16, the notch 91 of the soldering tool 89 fits over the post which gives a bettersoldering action because the surface of contact is greater. In this position the soldering tool has already melted the soldering material necessary for the operation by having rubbed the projecting solder '77, and onehalf of the soldering period has elapsed. Starting at this point the operation is as follows 2-While the shaft 82' rotates together with the arm 83' and pin '84 through Since only one post is solcontact arm 98. At the end 0 90, the slotted arm 86 is moved by the pin to the position shown in Fig. 13." The 301- dering tool 89 is turned through an equal angle and the horizontal component of this angular movement of arm 88 is equal to the horizontal movement of the cans. As shown in Fig. 17 the soldering iron may also be maintained in contact at all intermediate points b the use of suitable specially shaped 82 turns through 90 7 During this period the shaft 87 of the soldering tool will be lowered by suitably shaping cam 97 and the arm 98 which adjusts the shaft will drop, the bearin s 92 meanwhile sliding in the slots 94. he movement of the arm will be straight up and down because the cooperation between the slot 99 andthe shaft 82 prevents any rotary movement. 7

During thenext'180 of rotation of the arm 83, the tool is raised from the post and mturned to the starting position. The raising of the tool from the can is accomplished primarily by the cam 97 and arm 98, but at the beginning and end of a stroke is assisted b i the rotary movement of the soldering too. Thecombined action during this one-half revolution of the arm will maintain the tool out of engagement-widths, post while one can passes under the soldering device. This skipped can will'be soldered bythe same kind of soldering device spaced a short distance from the first soldering mechanism.

During the return stroke of the-soldering tool, the cam will turn through 60 to cause the difierent points of the cam tocome snocessively in contact with'the point of the this period the arm 88 of the soldering tool is at the samedistanceitothe left of the shaft 87 as it is to the right in Fi 17. The vertical position of the shaft 87 ue to the movement ofthe cam 97; is also made so that the soldering tool is in contact with the post. As it moves alon the hot iron immediately contacts with an melts the solder which is be ing fed forward as previously described. The continued contact of the notched tool and post gives a good soldered connection between thezinc, can and post. .When the arm 83 moves through 90 the can is in the central position in which the operation started and the cam 97 has moved through 180 p During the remaining 240 of the cam rotation the same movements produced'by the preceding 120 will be twice repeated.

It is found that six prongs is the practical mmimum for the star wheel although eight, ten, etc., could be used, in which case the rates of rotation of shafts 82 and 62 and part of arm 86 would have to be changed ing the cans.

To loosen any cells which may be slightly soldered to the horn, as previously mentioned, a blow is delivered to each cell by the hammer 103. In the position shown in Fig. 22 the horn 26 forces back this spring hammer by engaging the sloping side 118. As the cell advances the hammer is released and delivers a blow to the end of the can with suflicient force to loosen the cell.

The cells are finally picked from the holder by the fingers 108 of the rotating drum and delivered to the twister. The chain drive 105 keeps the conveyer .and drum in proper relation and assures the delivery of a single cell to each sector. As each cell is delivered into the twister it forces all of the cells forward and finally delivers them to the moving platform in a vertical position.

While in this position on the moving table, the cells may have various operations performed on them. For example, disks, sand, sealing compound, knurls, etc., may be applied, all without the use of trucks.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In apparatus for operating on a dry cell, a conveyor having means thereon for supporting dry cells, means for abrading a spot on said cells and a lifting member adapted to engage said supports and cells to raise the cells.

2. In apparatus for operating on dry cells, a conveyer chain comprising a plurality of carrying strips having means adapted to support a dry cell, abrading means, and a lifting member adapted to engage said carrying strips and cells near one end thereof, whereby one end of each cell is raised successively to engage said abrading means.

3. In a conveyer for dry cells, a plurality of horizontal carrying strips, a pair of notched supports attached to each strip adapted to receive and aline a dry cell with one of said carrying strips, an upwardly projecting member attached to each strip adapted to cooperate with the dry cellcan to support a binding post,-m eans for connectin the strias to ether a track and means for moving the strips. along said track.

4. A holder for horizontally placed cells, consisting of a plurality of notched supports, a section of a chain conveyer adapted to receive said supports, and an upwardly extending arm projecting from the conveyer section having a notch adapted to receive a binding post for a cell.

' 5. A holder for dry cells consisting of front and rear notched supports adapted to carry a cell in a horizontal position, a carrier for said supports, means permitting the carrier to be connected as a section of a chain conveyer and to engage a driving mechanism, and an arm projecting upwardly from the carrier beyond the supports and adapted to receive a binding post for a cell.

6. A holder for dry cell cans consisting of a carrying strip, a plurality of lugs projecting from said strip and having holes therethrough, a plurality of pins adapted to be passed through the holes, said pins and holes permitting the carrying strip to be connected as a section of a chain conveyer, a pair of notched supports attached to the strip and adapted to receive and aline a can, and an upwardly projecting member attached to the strip and adapted to 006p erate with a dry cell can to support a binding post when a can is fitted in the notched supports.

7. In apparatus for operating on dry cells, the combination of a holder for a dry cell can, consisting of a carrying strip, an upwardly projecting member attached to the strip and adapted to cooperate with a dry cell can to support a binding post when a can is fitted in the holder, a plurality of lugs projecting from said strip and having an opening therethrough, a plurality of rollers adapted to be fitted between said lugs, each roller having an opening in alinement with the lug openings. a plurality of pins adapted to be passed through the openings and constituting connecting means whereby the holder may be inserted as one member of a chain conveyer, a track for said rollers, means adapted to move the carrier along the track and means for removing a can from the carrying strip.

8. In apparatus for operating on dry cells, a conveyer chain comprising a plurality of strips having means adapted to support a dry cell can, upwardly projecting members adapted to receive a dry cell post attached to said strips at one end, means for moving the cans toward said projecting members, abrading means, a lifting member adapted to engage said supporting strips and cans near one end thereof whereby one end of each cell is raised successively to engage the abrading means.

9. In apparatus for operating on dry cells, a conveyor having supports adapted tocarry dry cell cans in a horizontal osition, an abrading Wheel adapted to be p. aced in contact with a spot at the open end of the can, upwardly projecting members attached to the supports adapted to cooperate with the can at-the abraded spot to carry the binding post, a soldering iron adapted to contact with the binding post at the abraded spot, and means for moving the soldering iron in the direction of movement of the conveyer. v

10. In apparatus for operating on dry cells, a conveyer having a plurality of supports adapted to hold (1 cell cans in a horizontal position,a sha is having a plurality of projections adapted to be successively enga ed by the supports to rotate the shaft, a soldering iron mounted on a second shaft, means for transferring the rotary movement of the first shaft into reciprocating movement of the second shaft, a'cam on the first shaft adapted to raise and lower the second shaft, a reel of solder and means operated from the fiI'St shaft for feeding solder from said reel into contact with the'soldering iron. z

11. In apparatus for operating on dry cells, a conveyer having a plurality of supports adapted to hold dry cell cans in a horizontal position, means for abrading a spot at the open end of the cans, an u wa-rdly projecting member attached to the supports adapted to cooperate with-the cans at the abraded spots to-hold a binding post, a soldering iron adapted to be placed successively in contact with the abrading spots and posts and means for feeding solder against the soldering iron. 7

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my 4 signature.

' J. C. GILLETTE. 

